Speaking of Contrast...

Thank the Lord for his blessings in my life. He has given me several reprieves this past week. A paper being finished and turned in. An event off my plate. A test taken. Time with friends and refreshing sleep. Beautiful weather. Dinner at a professor's house and a successful meeting. Work smoothing out.

I am incredibly unworthy to know God, let alone the fact that he answers my prayers. Jesus has saved me! He extends that salvation to all!

Yet, a contrast looms.

Several friends I know are struggling hard. Stress, death, medical issues, financial problems, family drama, dark depression. God seems far away from them, the Scriptures are dry, and Satan feels like he's ripping life apart.

Set this against the backdrop of our world, the picture looks even blacker. ISIS. Ebola. Economic crises. Political scandals. Broken families. Divided nations.

It's hard to see how the God we serve can still be Lord in both the good and the bad. How can he still be Lord amidst the suffering? How can truth be true all the time, no matter what our circumstances? 

How can the God I worship and praise for the blessings he's given me be the same God who seems so absent in the lives of others? 

I don't have all the answers. I am hardly omniscient, and I am far from wise. 

Yet, one thing I do know...of one thing I am sure.

I was blind, but now I see. God is real. God is true. He is here. I know it's hard to see through the pain and the storms and the dark. All I can tell you is that I know a fount where sins are washed away.

Free is the one that the Son sets free. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. Colossians 3:2. 

See beyond the contrast, the joy, the pain. See him, whom was pierced for our transgressions. See our Lord in his sovereignty and deep love which draws us into his arms through the trials. 

Speaking of Strength...

Congratulations, stress is officially a thing. 

I'm in the library ignoring all I need to be doing. I'm with two of my friends, evaluating doodles and making fun of an Instagram photo of Archie trying to channel James Dean. There's much on my mind, and much to be in prayer for. Yet, here I am.

It's because I can't mentally do anything right now. And it's okay.

Homework, work, family stuff, life choices, lack of social time, future plans, and trying to stay refreshed in the Word. Processing emotion instead of stuffing it up. Trying to take care of myself.

Sometimes, that includes eating junk food and listening to alt pop in the back corner of the lower level library. 

God, in his mercy, gives us strength each day. I don't have to worry about not having enough strength for tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year; I only have to think about today, and I trust that God will bless me with the strength to handle what's coming simply as it comes. No need to worry about tomorrow and what's up next--our Father feeds the birds, and he values us so much more.

Wherever you're at, know that. 

God is with you, just as he's with me. Turn your stress over to him. Set your mind on things above, as Paul says in Colossians 3:2. Remember where we truly belong (Phil. 3:21). 

Even so, life is full and speeding along fast. Take everything one step at a time, as I am working on doing. And don't forget to bust open the chocolate box.

The Lord is eternally good and caring. He sees you, just as he saw Hagar in her pain, Hannah in her shame, Martha in her worry, and Mary Magdalene in her hopelessness. 

Choose to see him back. 

Speaking of the Future...

Once in a while, you zoom out.

Sometimes it's a conversation. Other times, it's simply the reality of life making you pause in the middle of a crosswalk or as stop as you're waiting for a train.

Today, I had the privilege to take my dear friend Claire out for a coffee adventure. We were at a hole-in-the-wall and caught up, then proceeded to walk by the river and get snacks at Trader Joe's. It was refreshing and needed.

We were talking a lot about the future and our own insignificance in God's plan. The current chapter of our lives includes Bible college, intense growth, and the big city. However, as Claire aptly pointed out, these four years are really only a season, a tiny blip on the road of our lives. The world is moving full speed ahead, and soon we will be metaphorically leaving the station, picking up our tickets, and hopping on board. Many of us will never meet again. Some of us might be blessed to work in ministry together or live close enough to stay in continual contact, but most of us will never cross paths again. As the workers head out to the harvest, the closeness we are blessed with now with end.

Strange to think that the future is coming. Adventure is out there. No eye has seen, no ear has heard the things the Lord has in store for those who love him. 1 Cor 2:9. 

Paul knew this wasn't all there was. There is a heaven, and a Savior, and a finish line; there's also two and a half years from now (by his grace and mercy) when I will be crossing the stage to receive a diploma and ending my time here at school. Life happens outside of these few blocks of campus, and as one of my senior friends said today, it gets weirder and weirder to think about it the closer you get.

Maybe because it's Year Number 2. Maybe it was the macchiato. Maybe it was something about the fall weather, the blue skies, and the steps of the cathedral we were sitting on. When I was with Claire this afternoon, I felt like we zoomed out, just for a moment, and we were looking far down the road in life. We could see a tiny shaft of light, and we metaphorically grabbed it as we discussed what God might have in store with ministry, paths, and relationships.

No matter where he takes me after this season, I know is that Jesus is Lord and he holds me in his hands. My life is a sacrifice for his glory and his glory alone. I will keep running the race with the end in mind. I will keep proclaiming him and using my gifts to bring him praise. Hebrews 12:1-2. Yes, I will keep going.

I will keep sharing his love like I did tonight in Millennium Park with two young women who had never heard the Gospel. I will fight for the souls of men and women around me. 

No matter what the next step is, Jesus, keep increasing my faith and wisdom. Be my strength and fill me with your everlasting, beautiful peace that overflows and makes no sense. I look ahead to what you have for me.

Speaking of Calling...

Let me throw this out there.

All Christians are missionaries. All Christians are workers for the harvest, All Christians are "sent."

Why? Because the Great Commission applies to all of us!

No one is exempt from living missionally: reaching out, evangelizing our neighbors, and making disciples!

Missions Conference wraps up tomorrow morning for our campus. It's been a firehouse of info, and our theme this year on reaching the unreached has caused a lot of emotions to come out for our student body. I'm avoiding processing the bulk of it until after it's over. 

I am sure of two things at this point, however:

We serve a mighty God who is capable of anything. He answers our prayers, and he wants us to intercede for the nations.

Also, I am called to stay and do the work of the Gospel here in America, whatever form that takes. My hurt is burdened for reaching the unreached here, There is so much to be done in Christ's name locally. Down the hall, down the street, down the block. I see it and couldn't imagine leaving.

Matthew 28:19. Here we are.

God's will for our lives is misinterpreted, I think, We wonder what God wants us to do; we ache to hear him speak; we pray for his presence. Ladies and gentlemen, God is already here; God has already told us what to do; God has already spoken! 

1 Thess 4:3 says, "This is the will of God: that you may be sanctified."

The end. Let's live out the general principles he has given us in conjunction with the wisdom and guidance of the Spirit. 

We are called. And we shall go.

Speaking of Time...

Once in a while, you get ahead of life. The papers are done, the work is over, the hangouts have happened, and the schedule is actually clear. 

That's whats up.

It's the night before our annual Missions Conference, and here I am with my friends, in our campus coffee shop, joking around and attempting to do nothing. We're talking about whatever, complaining about Megabus ticket prices back to Iowa, and drinking cold coffee. I'm wearing slippers, and two of my friends are barefoot. It's close to midnight here. I'm pretty sure Coldplay or something is playing in the background.

These simple moments will be what I miss. It's the little pieces that come together to make up the huge puzzle of our individual lives. I will remember the big exams and the big Chicagoland sights and the big-picture milestones. But, as Russell says in the Pixar movie "Up," it's the boring stuff that matters the most.  

God is good in the busy and the slow. He is Sovereign in the broken and in the whole. Jesus is Lord no matter what's going on, and no matter the state of our hearts, he is there and he has a plan.

There is a time for everything, rest included. It's odd to have free time, and as the weeks go forward, I will forget what it feels like to have nothing pressing to do. However, all time is a blessing, and all time is meant to give God glory. Everything that happens in our daily routines for him, be it a slow moment or the fast lane. 

Ecclesiastes chapter 3 discusses the seasons of life and how God "has made everything beautiful in its time," setting eternity in our hearts as we long for the end. Colossians 3:23 puts it so: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Jesus, keep my eyes on you, all the time. 

Speaking of Faith...

Frank is 23 years old. He loves Jesus and his girlfriend. He appreciates trail mix, deep discussions about faith, and friendly conversation.

Frank is homeless.

Every week I hit the streets of Chicago with fellow friends to share the Gospel. We're part of a ministry outreach at my school, and since joining this group last year, I've never been challenged or stretched more. We grabbed our tracts as we left the room where we meet for prayer and reading of the Word. We walked the blockage to Michigan Avenue. We paired up and broke camp.

The Gospel weighs on my heart. Everywhere I look, I see dying souls who are walking blind into judgment and whose eyes are coated with scales. I usually don't know who to talk to first, and it's pretty overwhelming. That's when I saw Frank,

He was holding a cardboard sign at the corner in front of the TopShop clothing store. I plopped down in front of him and said, "Excuse me, sir. What are you reading?"

Deuteronomy.

So began our conversation. I actually knew his girlfriend, a homeless girl I met last year in the same area. We talked back stories and I learned about how he became a Christian. I learned how he ended up on the streets. I encouraged him and prayed with him and gave him a dollar, the only cash I had.

I respected his humanity, and I appreciated his rich faith in Christ.

Some of the strongest Christians I've met have been homeless people. Their joy in the Lord seems so opposite to what they're going through, and it's almost ridiculous considering their situations. Most people don't look at them. Most people don't care to take five minutes and ask them their story, let alone their names. It's a fine, tricky, delicate line -- some people are fakers, but others are real and truthful. 

You can see, though, the light of God shining through those that are in Christ. That's what I saw in Frank tonight, and I am in prayer for him as my brother.

When we are at our lowest moments, that's when the Light of the World shines brightest because we truly have nothing left of ourselves. There's no facade remaining. Our faith is refined, as Peter says, and it glistens as we become more sanctified in Christ.

It's hard. I can't pretend to resonate with Frank's situation, nor any other homeless person's trial to survive, but I can learn lessons of truth from their testimonies. I can be encouraged and preached to from the most unlikely of places. 

Following God's call and leading, I will always be surprised at how much more my eyes can be opened.

Romans 12:12 -- "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Always. For the King who leads us ever deeper, sometimes into dark places or shadows or valleys, but who always brings us out on the other side looking more like himself.